


Consequences

by pookiestheone



Series: Curiosity [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Drinking, M/M, Physical Abuse, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-02-01 13:45:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12706206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pookiestheone/pseuds/pookiestheone





	1. The Morning After

As Billy slowly struggled into consciousness the pounding in his head got worse; it felt like someone had slammed it into the ground over and over. He tried to remember if he had been in a fight but drew a blank. He lay with his eyes closed for a minute then reached out blindly for his alarm clock. _Please let it be middle of the night so I can try to go back to sleep._ The effort made his head scream at him. _Jesus, I think I’m going to die._ His hand found nothing but air.

Slowly he turned on his side and cracked open one eye, flinching when the light hit it. Once he had focused as best he could he found he wasn’t in his bedroom. He sat up suddenly, regretting it as soon as he did as his head started to swim, but he pushed through it. He wasn’t even in his own house.

“What the fuck!” The sound of his own voice startled him. From somewhere down a hall he heard movement, so he stood up, steadied himself against what he now knew was a sofa and gathered the - _What the hell is this thing?_ \- the “thing” around his shoulders and followed the noise.

As he got closer he could hear someone humming. Rounding the corner he walked into a much-too-bright kitchen and came face to face with …

“Harrington? What are you doing here? Where the hell am I? What are you doing here?” he repeated.

“Well if it isn’t merry morning sunshine. Want coffee?”

Billy just stood there in a state of confusion made worse by the relentless drumming in his head.

“Coffee?” He held up the pot.

“Uh, yes.”

“Good, take a seat before you fall over. And it’s Steve remember?”

“Steve?”

“Yeah, Steve. Car? Beer? ‘I like you’.”

“Wha ... Oh my fucking …” He almost collapsed into the chair

“There it is. The fog has lifted.” He set a mug of coffee in front of him and turned back to the counter. “I’m making toast, but I don’t suppose you want any.”

At the mention of food Billy’s stomach objected. He was never sick after he got drunk, at least he had never been yet, but he knew eating at the moment wasn’t a good idea. Then again, he couldn’t remember ever being so drunk that he forgot things.

“Where's the bathroom?”

“There's one across the hall. You going to be all right?”

“Yeah, I just have to piss really, really bad.”

“Grab the bottle of aspirin when you’re in there.”

He closed the door behind him and stood looking in the mirror. His hair was plastered to his head and his face looked like a ghost staring out of it. He unzipped and stood over the toilet for what seemed like an hour until the stream stopped. Finally he splashed some water on his face, ran his wet hands through his hair. He didn’t look any different but surprisingly it made him feel a bit better. He sniffed his armpit. _I need a shower when I get home._

Then it hit him. He hadn’t gone home last night. His stomach flipped and he just made it to the toilet in time. When he finished retching there was a knock at the door.

“You OK?”

“What do you think.”

“All right, don’t bite my head off.”

“Sorry.” He grabbed some toilet paper and wiped his mouth. “I’ll be out in a sec.”

He sank to the floor as all the things that could happen stampeded through his head. His father usually didn’t give a shit if he stayed out but he insisted that he know about it beforehand so he could give his permission; not that he ever said no. He just liked the control. But he hadn’t asked yesterday and that was the ultimate sign of disrespect. It didn’t seem to matter while he was getting drunk and he vaguely remembered making being drunk an excuse for not going home

For some illogical reason he thought that as long as he wasn’t drunk it wouldn’t be as bad. Now, when he was sober, he realised that made no difference. Disrespect was disrespect. As far as his father was concerned there were no degrees. Drunk or sober it was all the same. He knew now that using being drunk as an excuse yesterday was just putting off the inevitable.

_I should just get in the car and drive, never look back._ But he knew that wasn’t going to happen, not yet. He came out of the bathroom clutching the bottle pf aspirin and sat down slowly in the chair.

“Here,” Steve handed him a glass of water. “Drink the whole thing with the aspirin. My dad swears by it, the more water the better.”

Billy nodded as he stuffed the aspirin into his mouth and drained the glass.

“I … I’ve got to go home and get ready for school.”

“School. It’s Saturday. I mean you can try to go if you want.”

“Saturday?”

“Yep. Drink your coffee.”

“No, I’ve got to go,” Billy said as he stood. “Where are my keys?”

“Sit down. A cup of coffee isn’t going to kill you. Besides, we need to talk. About yesterday.”

“Not now. I need to go. You don’t understand.” He started to shake and he grabbed the chair back.

“Sit for a minute. I’ll get your keys and I’ll drive you home. I have to go get my car anyway. I can walk from your place, right?”

“No. I … I …”

“I’m driving you. That’s all there is to it.”

“Fine. But you can’t come in.”

Steve just looked at him strangely. “I didn’t plan to.”

In the car Billy didn’t say a word; he just sat there clenching and unclenching his fists. When he arrived at his house he climbed out but stopped dead when he saw the other car in the driveway.

“Here’s the keys.” Steve pressed them into his hand. “We still need to talk though. Tonight?

“Yeah, yeah. Maybe.”

Billy walked away without another word. Steve saw him hesitate at the front door before he turned and headed for the school.


	2. Inching Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A warning for recounting of physical and mental abuse in this chapter

Steve thought Billy would come by after dinner, but he never turned up. He had to admit he was disappointed, but it wasn’t something he had control over. _If he shows, he shows._ He debated about going out, but since Saturday was unofficial date night and he didn’t have a girlfriend … he settled down to watch some television. There was a baseball game on that held his interest for a while, but his mind drifted.

He never believed he would consider Billy as his type, but he was. He had found that out yesterday when he thought about him and the way he used his body. There was a lot not to like and he normally he wouldn’t even consider it, but there was also something inexplicable that seemed to pull at him; something he knew he had felt for a while but refused to even think about. While they were on the outs it was easy to dismiss because everything was laced with antagonism, but what happened in the car last night, or rather what might have happened if he hadn’t been so surprised, started him wondering if he was ready to take on all that Billy brought with him. That is if he wasn’t mistaken and had misread the situation completely. He snapped his attention back to the game.

About nine o’clock the doorbell rang.

“Well, it took you long …” he started as he opened the door. “Jesus, what happened?”

Billy was standing under the porchlight, a large backpack at his side. His right eye was swollen shut, there was a long gash on his cheekbone and his lower lip was cut.

“Can I come in?”

Steve kept staring.

“Can I come in or not?”

“What? Yes, yes.” He opened the door wider. Billy picked up the backpack with a grunt and limped into the house.

“Here give me that.” Steve set the backpack to one side and followed Billy who was already headed to the sofa. He sat down with a groan. Steve pulled up the chair opposite him.

“What happened, Billy.”

“My asshole of a father happened, that’s what.”

Steve stood up and turned on the table lamp. He gingerly touched Billy’s eye, but it made him wince anyway.

“You should go to the hospital,” he said as he sat back down

“Ha! Right. Nothing’s broken so why bother.” He paused. “He makes sure he never breaks anything,” he muttered under his breath.

“This has happened before?” Suddenly Steve understood the fear he had heard in Billy’s voice.

“Yeah. Usually it’s a couple of hard slaps across the face. But there are times …” He cautiously put his hand to his cheek.

“And Susan didn’t say anything.”

“She wasn’t home; neither was Max. But no, she doesn’t say anything. She’s scared of him.”

He suddenly hunched his shoulders and buried his head in his hands.

“I went too far this time.” Steve could tell he was crying and he reached out to touch his shoulder. He jerked away and looked up angrily, wiping at his eyes. “Don’t touch me.”

“Sorry.” Steve held up his hands and sat back. “Don’t you mean he went too far.”

“But I went too far first. He has rules about respect and about what he expects of me. I know what they are and I keep breaking them. I keep being disrespectful and this time I went too far. I knew I had to be home yesterday and I just blew it off and got drunk.”

“Jesus, Billy, being disrespectful might get you grounded, you might not get to use the car, something like that, but it should never mean getting the crap beaten out of you.”

“Yeah, well it does to him.” He nodded toward his backpack. “I know we’re not friends, but do you think I could stay here tonight. It’s just there’s no one else. I thought it was over, but an hour ago he threw me out and said it was time I learned what life was all about. No car, no warm house, no soft touch. It was like he had been planning it, just waiting until I felt a bit safe.”

“Of course you can stay.”

“Probably won’t last long. He can’t control me when I’m not there and that will piss him off eventually. Especially when he figures out that he has to do things like take Max to school.” He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. “He told me I was a useless waste of space who never should have been born.” The last few words came out in sobs; this time he was crying and not trying to hide it.

Steve jumped up and went to sit beside him. After hesitating for a few seconds he put his arm around his shoulders, pulling him in tight, as he searched for something to say. He had almost become used to monsters in his life, but this was different and he had no idea what he could do to make it better, so he just sat with his arm around him until he stopped crying.

Billy straightened up and moved away, wiping at his nose with his arm.

“Well, that wasn’t cool,” he joked feebly.

Steve smiled at him. “You don’t have to be cool all the time. Doesn’t bother me if you aren’t.”

“Yeah, well it bothers me. Can I get a shower? I still stink like I did this morning.”

“Sure. Upstairs. I’ll show you and we can drop your stuff in my room.”

“Your room? I can sleep down here.”

“It’s OK. I’ve got two beds you won’t have to share.”

“That wasn’t it. I thought I was going to put you out of yours.”

Steve wasn’t sure if he was going to get used to Billy being considerate. At the bottom of the stairs he grabbed the backpack before Billy could and lead the way to his room.

“I’m by the window, you can sleep here,” he said as he dropped the pack on the bed. “If you’ve got stuff you want to hang up there’s room in the closet.”

“I’m only here for tonight. I’ve got a bit of money saved from some odd jobs and I can maybe get a motel room or something for a few days until he tells me to come home.”

Steve shrugged. “Doesn’t mean you don’t have something to hang up. Bathroom’s at the end of the hall, I’ll …” Billy had already taken of his shirt and turned to put it over a chair. Steve stopped when he got a look at his back. It was covered in four or five angry, red welts. He reached out to touch them but just let his fingers hover. “Shit, Billy.”

“Yeah, bet they’re pretty; he did that while I was lying on the floor. I was too dazed to try to get away. I can just imagine my ass. He used the buckle there.” He undid his belt and carefully slipped his pants and shorts half way down. There were just as many large swellings across the upper half that had started to bruise

“Shit,” Steve repeated. “You can’t go back there.”

Billy dropped his pants and kicked them off. Hitching up his underwear he turned around. “Well, at the moment that’s not an option anyway. Going to worry about it when it is. Now, about that shower, can I have a bath instead? The water hitting my back isn’t such a good idea.”

“OK. I’ll get those towels.” He motioned toward his cheek. “And you’ll find bandages in one of the drawers, there should be one big enough for that.” 

Steve pulled a couple of big bath towels from the linen closet and walked back as Billy came out of his room, naked, heading to the bathroom. He reached out and took them.

“You hungry?” Steve asked. “I can make scrambled eggs if you want. Don’t have much else, unless you want some stew; everything else is frozen. Oh. There’s bacon too.”

“I’m starved. Haven’t eaten since yesterday. Scrambled eggs and bacon.”

Since there was no one else in the house Billy didn’t bother closing the door. He filled the bath, but didn’t make the water too hot because he wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. The bottom of his ass was fine so he only gasped as he sat down and the water hit the rest. He slid down and arched his back a little so the water could get at it and leant his head against the rim, sighing as he felt the warmth start to sink in.

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed there but the water was cool when he got out. As he dried himself he looked over his shoulder, catching his reflection in the mirror above the sink. None of the skin was broken but he was afraid to try to dry it because it was so awkward to get at.

He stuck his head out the door and yelled down the stairs.

“Steve. Can you give me a hand?”

“Be right there.” Half a minute later he was standing in the doorway. “Yeah?”

“Can you dry my back?” He held out the towel and turned around. “It’s just …,” he gasped as the softness of the towel touched the first welt. Steve didn’t rub, just patted gently, but it still stung.

“You any better?” he asked.

“Well at least I don’t stink now, but yeah, a bit. They’ve started to burn though.”

“My mom has this lotion, Cala-something or other. I have no idea what the hell it is, but it feels cool when you put it on. Maybe we can try it later.” 

“Sounds good.”

They were both silent while Steve kept drying, finishing with the top of his buttocks, over the curve and down toward his legs. He stopped suddenly when he realised where his hand was heading and that this could quickly turn into something else, something he didn’t think either of them was ready for. He handed the towel back to Billy who didn’t turn around.

“Why’d you stop?”

“Because I think you can manage the rest and I’ve got to go finish the bacon. I’ll start the eggs in about five minutes.”

Billy continued to face away from the door after he left, clutching the towel tightly against his cock, willing himself not to get harder. _Fuck!_

Downstairs Steve set the frying pan of bacon back on the burner and took out the eggs _Fuck!_ There were ten so he broke them all into a bowl, added some milk and beat them angrily. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ He was leaning against the counter looking absentmindedly at the wall when Billy came into the kitchen. His hair was still wet, his shirt was untucked and unbuttoned and he was smiling sheepishly.

“Ah, you’re here. Bacon’s draining and I just put the eggs in a minute ago.” He turned and pushed the eggs back and forth in the pan. “How are you with toast?” He nodded toward the bread.

“That I can manage without messing it up.”

Steve worked the eggs while Billy stared at the toaster as if he were waiting for it to fly off. Both of them jumped when the toast popped up.

“Butter that and take a seat. Eggs are almost ready.” He gave Billy most of the eggs and bacon and set the plate in front of him.

“Yes!” Billy shoveled a couple of forkfuls into his mouth and followed them with a slice of bacon, almost swallowing everything whole.

“At least take time to enjoy my outstanding cooking.”

Billy looked up and grinned. He stuck his tongue out and seductively ran it around his lips, then popped half a slice of bacon onto it, wiggled it around and slowly dragged it in, making a soft smacking sound and a sensual “mmmm” when he finished.

“That better?”

Steve’s mouth had opened just a bit. _Jesus fucking …_

Billy winked at him with his good eye and started laughing. “I thought it might be.”

The only thing Steve could think about for the rest of the meal was that tongue.


	3. Demons

Billy scraped the last of the eggs up with his third piece of toast and carefully sat back in the chair.

“That was good.”

“You should have my pancakes. Well, mom’s recipe but I make them.”

“You’re a man of many talents, aren’t you?”

“Could be.” Steve pushed back his chair and got up. “Now, go sit down in the living room while I throw these into the dishwasher.”

When he joined Billy in the living room he was standing at the stereo, sorting through some of the albums.

“Not really my kind of music.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said as he settled onto the sofa. “I’ve heard your radio.”

Billy shrugged and dropped down beside him.

“Who would have thought twenty-four hours ago we’d be sitting in your living room instead of at each other’s throats.”

“Yeah, well that can happen when you like someone.”

“And I knew that was going to come up,” Billy laughed. “OK, I like you. Have for a while. It’s just …”

“Just?”

“I treated you like shit for so long, worse than I do everyone else, I had no idea how to tell you and make you believe me.” He paused. “Look, I don’t have friends. I have people like Tommy who are just ass kissers. I have people who like me because of the way I act. You know, tough, who-gives-a-fuck rebel. And I have people, a lot of people, who just fear me. I don’t like any of them, I just use them. And I don’t have people who like me for me because I guess I never am me. It’s all an act because that’s how I survive.”

“But I’m different?”

“Yeah. And before you ask why, I don’t know for sure.”

“So you like me because I’m different? That makes no sense, Billy.”

“I told you I didn’t know why. Can’t we just leave it at that for now?”

Steve shook his head. “You’re still not being yourself, are you?”

Billy smiled. “That’s as close as we’re going to get tonight.”

“All right, but you don’t have to be scared, not of me; because that’s what it is, isn’t it?”

“Being scared is all part of it. When you’re scared you don’t trust anyone and when you don’t trust anyone they can’t get a chance to hurt you. Jesus, listen to me. You some type of shrink in disguise?”

“Just call me Dr. Steve.”

Billy yawned. “Well, Dr. Steve, you want to put some of that stuff on my back so I can try to get some sleep? It’s been one hell of a day.”

“Sure. Upstairs.” _Nice way to change the subject._

While Billy went into the bedroom Steve rummaged around in the bathroom vanity for the lotion, eventually finding it at the back. When he got to the bedroom, Billy was lying on his stomach completely naked, blanket and sheet pushed to one side; he stopped for a second just to look. His clothes were in a pile on the floor at the foot of the bed. Steve picked them up and threw them onto a chair before sitting down on the bed beside him. 

“This may hurt.”

“It’s OK … ahhh,” Billy gasped as the lotion hit his back.

“Sorry, but I said ….”

“No, it just felt cold. Go ahead.”

Steve lightly dabbed it onto each welt being as careful as he could as he gently rubbed it in. Billy mumbled a couple of times but otherwise said nothing. He finished off with the swellings along the top of his ass, carefully avoiding going any further down. He wiped his hands on a towel and then rested one on the small of his back lightly massaging it.

“How’s that”?

“Good.” His face was buried in the pillow so his words were muffled. “Really nice.” He turned his head to the side so he could look up at Steve. “It’s been a long time since anyone touched me like they cared how it made me feel.”

He didn’t say anything else so Steve went to get up. Billy reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him back down.

“Don’t go. Not yet.” He paused as if considering what to say next. “You **know** why I like you, don’t you.”

“Yes.”

“And … and you’re not disgusted.”

“There’s nothing to be disgusted about because I know what that feels like.”

Billy smiled and tightened his grip. With his free hand Steve pushed his hair back where it had fallen over his eyes and ran his fingers gently along the side of his face to the corner of his mouth.

“I think you should try to sleep.”

“Yeah. You’ll stay, right?”

“I’m not going anywhere. You know, my parents won’t be back until Tuesday so you don’t have to leave tomorrow … if you don’t want to.” He kept stroking his face, softly humming some song he remembered his mother singing when he had a nightmare as a kid. Soon Billy’s eyes closed and he was snoring softly.

Steve pulled the sheet over him then got up and just stood looking at him. Billy dragged havoc after him wherever he went, his demons made sure of it; Steve understood that now. And he was, by no stretch of the imagination, even close to being a good person; maybe he never would be, maybe he wouldn’t want to be. But tonight none of that mattered; they would start dealing with it tomorrow, together. He sat down on his own bed. Tonight he was just going to watch him sleep for a while.

~~~ end ~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I have warned you about the schmaltz :)
> 
> The third and I think final part of this series though, while still only in point form and can just as easily move in a different direction, is turning out much darker as Billy struggles to change and Steve is getting ready to leave for college, leaving him behind. I haven’t decided yet if the ending is going to be happy. but since canon is most unlikely to give that to him I may just try to correct it preemptively.


End file.
